A partial victory for some Phoenix residents who’ve been pushing city leaders to pay back money taken from a parks fund to bail out city-owned golf courses.
The money came from the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative, or PPPI. In 2008, voters approved setting aside 1 cent of sales tax from every $10 purchase to support parks and preserves.
In 2013, the council voted to move $15 million from the fund to pay off debt at the city’s eight golf courses. The move angered some residents. In their view, the fund is meant to improve and expand parks and preserves, not bail out the golf courses.
For years, they’ve been showing up at city meetings to voice their displeasure and even threatened legal action while the city has maintained what they did was legal: borrowing money for the courses, which fall under the Parks and Recreation Department, with the intention of paying it back.
During Wednesday’s meeting of the parks subcommittee, members came up with a plan to get the repayment rolling. Councilman Sal DiCiccio suggested two things — beginning with money from the sale of eligible city-owned properties first going to pay back the fund.
“Any property whether it’s something downtown Phoenix or anywhere in the city of Phoenix we sell a property,” he said. “And then any revenues we get from the parks, like ASU, is used to pay down the golf, PPPI first.”
The ASU reference involves Papago Golf Course. While the city still owns it, Arizona State University now operates it. Phoenix has a similar deal with Grand Canyon University and the former Maryvale golf course.
The full council must still vote on the plan.
